Sliding mouth-piece for harmonicas



.(No Model.)

G. A. DELANO.

SLIDING MOUTH PIECE POR HARMONIGAS. No. 375,608. Patented Dec. 27., 1887.

UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE A. DELANOQOF ABRAMS, WISCONSIN.

SLIDING MOUTH-PIECE FOR HARMONICAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,608, dated December 27, 1887.

Application tiled September 12, 1887. Serial No. 240,451. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. DELANO, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Abrams, in the county of Oconto and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding Mouth-Pieces for Harmonicas; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figurel isa perspective view of a harmonica, showing my sliding mouthpiece attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line :v m in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the sliding mouthpiece removed from the harmonica.

My invention has relation to sliding mouthr pieces for harmonicas; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, thel letter A ldenotes aharmonica of the usual construction,

- having an apertured plate, B, the apertures of which register with the perforations which conduct. the breath to the free reeds of the harmonica.

O denotes the sliding n1outh-piecc,consisting of the casing, having its dat base provided with inwardly-bent flanges D D,Which overlap and slide upon the parallel edges B B ofthe perforated plate, which extend slightly beyond the upper surface of the harmonica, and the upper portion of this mouthpiece is preferably curved strip, thus forming three air-ducts, a b c, re spectively, and through one of these ducts, c, the tune is played.

A transverse plate, M, is secured near the lower edge of the mouth-piece to the other side of the tune-duct, and has aperturesNand O. A downwardly-opening valve, l?, closes the aperture N, while an upwardly-opening valve, Q, covers the aperture O. These valves are secured to the opposite sides of the plate M,aud are for the purpose of rendering complete octaves, as it is well known that in a harmonica an octave is four holes apart on the blow and five holes apart on the draw; hence the necessity of the oppositely-opening valves is readily seen without requiring further explanation.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The mouth-piece is rst slid upon the perforated plate upon the harmonica, when it is ready for use. The tune or air is played through the main duct c by placing the mouth over the aperture h2, and when it is desired. to playa high octave at the same time the aperture E, communicating with the air-duct d, having the oppositely-open valves, is also covf cred by the mouth, and the breath is forced to or the air drawn from the reeds of theharmonica. Again, should it bedesired to make use of the diapason or play a chord which includes al-lthe tones, the mouth-piece is so placed in the performers mouth that all the apertures are covered, thus producing sweet and harmonious music, the aperture E playing bass, while the aperture J, which communicates with three apertures, J J'l J3, in the metallic strip, plays tenor and alto. The said aperture J is well adapted for marking time by closing and opening it with the tongue.

It will be seen thatmy invention will cause the music to be played distinctly, and the notes, when desired, can be neatly cutoff and are not jumbled together, as is the case when a mouthpiece is not employed, inasmuch as it is very difficult for a person to keep his mouth contracted so as to blow directly in one hole of v the harmonica at a time; and the lips, which have heretofore been scratched and torn by sliding the mouth back and forth upon the upper portion of the harmonica, are now protected, as all it is necessary for the performer to do is to slide the harmonicaback and forth,

IOO

while the mouth-piece is retained tirml y in the mouth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A sliding mouth-piece for harmonieas, consisting of a casing having a flat lowerportion provided with inwardly-bent langes,and an upper curved edge having apertures located therein, a side aperture, a metallic apertured strip secured to the said flat portion above the flanges, and air ducts extending entirely through said casing.

2. A sliding mouth-piece for harmonicas, consisting of a casing having apertures in its upper edge, a side aperture, a fiat lower portion having an apertured strip secured thereto, and air-ducts extending from the said apertures in the casing to the apertured strip.

3. A sliding mouth-piece for harmonicas, consisting of a casing having apertures located therein, substantially as herein described, an apertured metallic strip secured at the lower project beyond the upper surface of the har- 3ol monica,with a sliding mouth-piece consistingof a casing having a at lower portion pro-V vided with inwardly-bent flanges, and an upper curved edge having apertures located therein, a side aperture, a metallic apertured strip se- 35 Y cured to the said flat portion above the ilanges,

and air-ducts extending entirely through said casing,

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in 4o presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. DELANO.

Witnesses: l

GEO. W. DE LANo, MARY DE LANo. 

